Chevy Camaro 1967 Technical Specifications

When the Camaro entered the showrooms there were nearly 80 factory and 40 dealer options to choose from. The Camaro's base powertrain was the 230ci L6 engine rated at 140hp, connected to a manual Saginaw 3-speed transmission. You could get the car with just about any motor Chevy made all the way up to the 375hp 396ci in the SS packgage, but not the RS. Transmission options included a Muncie four-speed manual, a two-speed "Powerglide", and in late 1967 the new three-speed "Turbo Hydra-Matic 350".

1967 saw the introduction of one of the most famous packages Chevy ever offered. Few knew about it, because it was not advertised. Even some dealers didn't know about it. That package was the Z-28. You could only get the Z-28 package by ordering a base Camaro with the option. It included front disc-brakes with power assist, competition suspension, the Muncie four-speed transmission, and a unique 302 small-block that was created by taking the 327 block and installing a short stroke 283 crank.

The engine was designed to compete in the Club of America Trans-Am racing series which placed a 305cid limit on entries. The 302 was advertised at 290 hp, but on the dyno the actual reading ran between 350 and 400 hp. The 302 could launch the Camaro to 60 mph in under 7 seconds and run a 101 mph quarter-mile in 14.85 seconds.

The Z-28 package was offered to the general public only so the car could qualify for racing. As such, you could not get many of the other factory and dealer options on the car. No air-conditioning, for example and the package was not available in the convertible, but could be combined with the RS option package. The Z-28 was a tough sell to the public at first because the high-reving motor was sluggish below 4000 rpm. But once it got moving it could blister the pavement at 140 mph. Only 602 were made in 1967, but once this unadvertised option started winning races, demand jumped in the following years. In 1968 production jumped to 7,199, and came off the line sporting the Z-28 or 302 badges. By 1969, Z-28 production had climbed to over 19,000.

One of the things that helped put the Camaro in the public eye was being chosen as the Official Pace Car for the 1967 Indianapolis 500. Chevrolet produced a white convertible RS with a 396cid motor (not normally available for that package), and distinctive blue bumble-bee stripe around the nose. 81 special reproductions of the pace car were produced as promotional sales vehicles for various dealerships. In 1969 Camaro again did the pace car honors at Indy with another white and blue striped convertible in the RS/396 combo.